Sharptails

[dfrobert]

Plan to head South for a couple day Sharptail hunt with the dog mid week. Have hunted Pheasants the last few years in some of the quite spots around Duchess, and Gem and we get into the odd sharptail covey in the EID.

Was looking at maybe trying more East around Atlee, Buffalo for Sharpies it would be my first time hunting them in that area. Does anybody have any insight as to areas to check out and walk, bird numbers, etc? Thanks in advance.

[elkhunter11]

I did see a few sharptails in the Buiffalo/Atlee area last fall when hunting pronghorn, but not big numbers.

[angery jonn]

Look for shin to knee high native grass and water, if you find those you'll probably find birds down there. Be careful when shooting though, you will find the odd hen Pheasant mixed in some of the edge cover. If it doesn't chuckle when it flushes don't shoot.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Interesting development is my trapline is West of Whitecourt in heavy bush country. On one of my trails large group of sharptails, my dog always enjoys flushing them. Always believed they were only in farm areas when grew up in Peace country, never saw them deep in heavy bush country.

[dfrobert]

Thanks guys. Probably go check some spots out there. Hopefully get into a few coveys of Huns as well.

[spoiledsaskhunter]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Interesting development is my trapline is West of Whitecourt in heavy bush country. On one of my trails large group of sharptails, my dog always enjoys flushing them. Always believed they were only in farm areas when grew up in Peace country, never saw them deep in heavy bush country.

funny you should say that...one time while hunting elk in the deep forest north of Yorkton I bumped into a flock of sharpies. they were the only ones I've ever bumped into in the forest

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by spoiledsaskhunter

funny you should say that...one time while hunting elk in the deep forest north of Yorkton I bumped into a flock of sharpies. they were the only ones I've ever bumped into in the forest

And back in the 70s, it was common to find flocks of 50 or more sharptails about 25-30 miles of Yorkton. Then as more and more land was cleared, they disappeared.

[West O'5]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Interesting development is my trapline is West of Whitecourt in heavy bush country. On one of my trails large group of sharptails, my dog always enjoys flushing them. Always believed they were only in farm areas when grew up in Peace country, never saw them deep in heavy bush country.

A cutblock that I hunted extensively for deer last year east of Swan Hills I seen a big herd of Sharpies there pretty much every day that I hunted there,anywhere from 6-15 birds most days.They sure are spooky,they flush at 100y.
Also see them pretty regularly every year deep in the bush at moose camp NE of Zama just a good lobbed rifle shot from NWT border.....those ones aren’t usually too spooky at all,drove right up beside them on Argo many times....must be the Dodo strain,ha!

[whitetail Junkie]

Going out Tommorow for sharptail and Huns...hopeing the early snow pushes them down from the high country where no one has permission to hunt them in my area...